


The Challenger

by Aishuu



Series: The Reluctant Hokage [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Humor, The Livejournal exodus, Uzumaki Naruto is a troublemaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-30
Updated: 2014-09-30
Packaged: 2018-02-19 10:37:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2385323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aishuu/pseuds/Aishuu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Itachi, meet Uzumaki Naruto.  Naruto has a bone to pick with the new Godaime.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Challenger

There's been a lot of subtle resistant to Itachi's investiture as the Hokage, from the too-shallow bows of the other clans, to his own family's delay in responding to his requests. No one is outright questioning his authority, but people are definitely testing his boundaries.  
  
Itachi had expected it, and handles the snubs with quiet elegance, not firing back yet not ignoring them entirely, either. There's suddenly a dearth of D-rank missions for genin, because Itachi knows well that assigning mundane, tedious missions is a perfect reproach. They may not respect him, but he's going to make them regret it, using nonviolent means. He's confident he could take on any three shinobi at once and wipe the ground with them, but sometimes a lighter hand is called for.  
  
Word quickly gets around that those who disrespect the Hokage are going to end up with the shit work. Most of the rebellious fall into line – although they may not like it, Itachi is Hokage, and he's going to stay that way.  
  
There's nothing subtle about one of his citizens' rebellion, though.  
  
It's strange, but the person he's having the most trouble with is a boy his brother's age, a child not yet through the academy. Uzumaki Naruto has declared war on him, and it's almost enough to make him wish he believed in killing children.  
  
Itachi knows the boy's story, even if Naruto still has no clue that he is a jinchuriki. Itachi had been young the night the Kyuubi had come, but he possesses an eidetic memory and recalls how Kyuubi had been stopped. He's always known even more than most, in fact, since he is smart enough to look at things objectively.  
  
Itachi only remembers seeing the Yondaime once, but he remembers being fascinated by Namikaze's golden hair. The only other person who shares the shade is Kyuubi's container, and it doesn't take someone of Itachi's genius to put together the looks and timing and come up with "Namikaze's son." When Itachi is raised to Godaime, he reviews the classified reports to confirm what he already knows.  
  
He would feel bad for the boy, if the boy didn't go out of his way to be a pain in the ass.  
  
Sandaime has always maintained a close relationship with Uzumaki, serving as a surrogate grandfather. That closeness had introduced Itachi to the child, who immediately declared himself Itachi's rival after learning Sandaime intended on passing the hat.  
  
Itachi had been bemused at first, wondering what hallucinogen the villagers were slipping the child. Naruto's taijutsu was rough, his ninjutsu pathetic, and his genjutsu was nonexistent. Sandaime had smirked when Itachi quietly ignored the insults from the brat, but now that he's Godaime, the situation has changed dramatically.  
  
Naruto shows up like a bad penny, screaming at the top of his lungs that he's going to be the next Hokage, and Itachi should watch his back. From anyone else, the threats might invoke an investigation from the ANBU, but everyone knows there's no way Naruto is going to pull off a coup d'état.   
  
So Itachi turns a blind eye towards Naruto, not paying him any particular attention. He knows, from his experience as an older brother, that acknowledging bad behavior will just encourage more acting out. Naruto is so desperately starved for attention that anything is better than being ignored.  
  
Itachi didn't realize, though, how incredibly _stubborn_ the jinchuriki could be. When Uzumaki Naruto declares war, nothing can force him to back down.  
  
Itachi can be stubborn, too, and vows that he will _not_ dignify Naruto's actions with a reaction. Itachi learns to check his office chair in the morning before sitting down, calmly disarming the rather ingenious traps that are designed to do things like send a bucket of cow manure flying at him. He orders that the Umino Iruka's class spend a day cleaning off the defaced Hokage monument instead of confronting the criminal directly. He never, ever eats anything that arrives for him at the tower (though it's not just Naruto that prompts that caution).  
  
Every time Naruto tries something, Itachi neatly sidesteps the trap, never showing any signs of irritation. In person, he treated the blond like he treated anyone else – with courtesy.  
  
In his head, though, he entertains a couple of fantasies about what he would _like_ to do to the brat. Itachi feels a lot of empathy for Hatake Kakashi. He has to admire the man, since Maito Gai is still among the living.  
  
Six months in, the door to his office slams open and Uzumaki Naruto storms in, a wicked expression on his face. "I'm going to defeat you today!" he declares grandly, posing with his hands on his hips in an attempt to look heroic.  
  
Itachi thinks he just looks ridiculous. Instead of saying anything, he merely raises an eyebrow, although he is prepared to duck if the brat decides to do something insanely stupid like throw a kunai at him.  
  
"I've invented the best jutsu, one which will defeat you!" he declares, raising his hands to form the ram seal.  
  
Itachi isn't sure if he should be concerned or not. Naruto is an idiot, but he is an idiot with the power of the Kyuubi behind him. The combination might accidentally create something dangerous.   
  
Caution makes him activate the Sharingan. Luckily Naruto still hasn't figured out that the Uchiha clan have the bloodline limit, so the brat won't realize that Itachi is _slightly_ worried.  
  
 _"Oiroke no Jutsu!"_ the boy declares, and with a poof of smoke, he transforms.  
  
Itachi blinks for a second as suddenly Naruto becomes a buxom blonde, wearing little except for some strategically placed puffs of smoke. Itachi can't think of anything to say, so he just shakes his head.  
  
Naruto shifts around, making sexy poses and cooing sounds, but doesn't manage to provoke a reaction from the Godaime. He pouts and dispels the jutsu a couple of seconds later. "Would've worked on the old man," Naruto grumbles.  
  
Itachi shrugs, before reaching over to pick up a pen. "I'm tougher than he is," he says, before raising a finger and pointing at the door. "You'd better leave before the ANBU come looking for you."  
  
Itachi doesn't bother to explain that his Sharingan lets him see through the henge. It's probably a good thing he has it. After all, despite his lofty position, he _is_ a teenage boy.


End file.
